Transport equipment for highway construction machines and the like



R. D. BAKER m wm TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES AND THE LIKE a I [5% 5;: v Q

Filed Jan.

N Ilka l' 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 R. D. BAKER Filed Jan. 11, 1932 Dec. 26, 1933.

TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES AND THE LIKE Dec. 26, 1933.

R. D. BAKER 1,940,659

TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 11. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet .3

I n. E g //4 I. 1 N g? N ....-I N [h v 9 Q S Jim/@1116?- Wa er/j 30%?1 Dec. 26, 1933. R. D. BAKER 1,940,659

TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 11, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I f e 1 3052/" JaZ r Patented Dec. 25, 1933' NITED STATES MT! i. TRANSFORT EQUTPMENT For: HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES "AND' THE LIKE Robert DQBaker, Birmingham, Application January 11, 1932. Serial'N o. 585,839

6 Claims. (01; 37 -108) This invention has for-its object to provide simple and eificient means for effecting removal or transportation of certain types of machinery used in the highway constructionaru-such as i fine-grading machines, pavement finishing machines and the like, which, when in use, travel upon the side-forms bordering the pavement strip. 7

Machines of the aforesaid typeiare-v ery short P from front to rear in order that" they maybe carried on a conventional highway trailer or flat-car from place to-place without beingtaken,-

apart, in whole or in part, and without project:

ing and extending at any point" beyond the side f P edges of such flat-cars or trailers and without violating State highway ordinances as to width,

etc.

The width of machines of this type is such that they span theside-forms bordering the pave-Y I mentstrip and project in part beyond oneor l both of the said; forms. The j width of such pavement strips varies from eighteen to twenty four feet. p l The frames'of such machines are usually con structed of conventional steel units, such as -I- beams, channel bars, angle irons or equivalents thereof. and, therefere,, are subject to distortion under certain conditions such as are hereinafter par ticularly pointed out. I In practice, these machines'each weighing several tons, must be transferred from flat-car; or highway trailer to side-forms at place of work]:

and back to fiat-car or trailer after completion of the work. During progress of the work, it isquite frequently necessaryto move the said ma chine to onesicle of the pavement stripand, in

for transport involves great labor because of the weight and bulk of the machines and is. laborious and time consuming. I

Therefore, it has been customary-heretofore to provide each'machine of the-several aforesaid types with axle elements at substantially the balance point between the sides of the machine for receiving ,wheelsof suitable diameter upon which said; machines .are supported in transit,

These units are more or less flexible To 1 mount the aid wheels upori said ,axleelements, itgis necessary firstfto jack-up one r;

bdthsides of h c a h t yv appreciable elevation abovevthe' sideforms then slip the wheels uponfthe axle elements and lower theliu machine untilits weight islborne by said wheels,

the axis of the latter'being parallel with the t 1 sides ,of the machine.

tical-axisoritmay ban-loved laterally and then M swung around and may also be, carried [on said wheels to a distantlocation." When so carried, the said wheels will pass Lover somewhat, uneven j surfaces even though traveling on pavement andv this will cause nexingar e "springing, of the ,maf chine frame, during? such travelland generally" causes the-frame members, ,tolibe'coine more, or v, less bent. and distorted because they 'aresup- I portedonly inthe vertical plane'of the axis of said wheels'l' Such, bending or distortion ,of qg frame memberspmay notjbe visiblyperceptible but is reflectediin disalignment of bearings and I: consequent binding ofishaft's, hot-boxes, and, e burning out of, ,bearings;' l oss of powerybreertm ages;. and the like. V v

The last-mentionediresu sare, ofcourse','V6 fy serious. The matter oftimerequired to app 1 and remove thetransporting wheels .is also a V matter of serious moment because de ay in this? f operation ,may frea'dily. cause similar delay 113,851 omemperauo sane thus pause apprec e los l The main obj ect of the present invention is,

therefore, i to provide transporting equipmentfor j machines ,7 of the'gtypes indicated which is easily ;,j

and quickly applied and includesmeansforraise so ing the machine rafter thef wheels areappliedf which will also support themachine during travel U on said awheels so-astopreventdistortion of frame 5 members andjotherparts; -and*which,do notre- 'quire the inclusion of "heavy, axle elements as part of the 'machineframe. to add. to theweight, th tte g mr;1.7.1 I 1 A suitable embodiment of the inventioniism. illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1;

,Fig. l is .a front elevation of a fine grading machine supported on atransporting equipment constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section of; the trans- 1 0 5 e porting: equipment perse 'takenon an, enlarged scale. on the 1,iri e, 2 ,-2 or 1, some of the frame members of the machine to be 'elevatedbeing ormalfposition pri rlto elevatin Y also shownvin in h sa -z:

Fig. 2a is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the machine frame in elevated position. I

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the transporting equipment taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2a.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary plan section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2a.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, illustrating draft-gear detachably secured to one side of the machine. Fig. '7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line '7--7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fi 6. a

In the drawings I have shown the type of machine illustrated and described in my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 488,734, filed October 15, 1930,.as exemplary of the general class of machines to which my invention particularly applies without, however, limiting the use thereof as applied to other machines Other machines to'which the present invention may be advantageously applied are illustrated in United States Patents Nos. 1,653,333; 1,522,128; and others, provided at the sides thereof with wheels 1 traveling on the sideformsl of a pavement strip 3, when in use.

The said wheels 1 or the side trucks in which they are mounted and which they carry, support the transverse frame elements of the machine, exemplified in the instant case by the channel bars 4, 5, and 6, which span the strip 3 and carryv a part of the operating mechanism or mechanisms of the respective machines. Said machines are usually equipped with an engine 7 at one side and, generally speaking, have the parts .of greatest weight disposed at or adjacent the sides of the frame or carriage because the latter is obviously less flexible than the portions thereof disposed inwardly of the side-forms 2. The said members 4, 5, and 6 are spanned by a connecting bar 5 secured thereto. Obviously, the middle portion of the frame is designed to be supported by .the side portions which, in turn, are supported upon the side-forms so that, in suspendingthe machine from the axis of the wheels. of transporting equipment, the distribution of weight is the reverse with consequent danger of frame distortions, etc., as hereinabove pointed out.' Furthermore, in its travel on the side-forms, the machine follows a path smoother than the best pavementfwhile intravel, when carried by. the said equipment, it is subjected to jars, shocks and vibrations which cannot be taken into account in designing the machine frame because of the additional weight involved. Weight must be minimized because of the limit of carrying power of the side-forms when disposed upon soft earth to prevent sinking'thereof; and also to facilitate transport and handling of the machine;

The invention, therefore, consists in providing a pair of what I term bridge-members 8, each consisting of an inverted channel bar having the end portions of its web cut away to leave the end portions of its flanges free. The said flanges terminate in vertically disposed extremities. In the instance illustrated, the said bridge-members 8 are arcuate and, by reason of cutting away the end portions of thewebs thereof, are provided at their ends with recesses bordered by the end portions 9 of the flanges in which the frame members 4 and 6 are received. The extremities of the flanges are provided with openings to receive the bolts 10 which underlie the said frame members 4 and 6. The said frame members 4 and 6 are equipped with stop members 10 for engagement by bolts 10 to prevent movement of the ends of the bridge or truss members 8 responsively to flexing thereof under the'influence of the weight of the machine.

Each bridgemember 8 is provided at its middle portion with a bearing 11 for the smooth end portion 'or a screw-shaft 12 which also passes through an opening in the webof the bridge member 8', Said screw-shaft 12 is equipped with collars 13 and 14 to confine it against longitudinal movement relatively to said bearing 11 and is also equipped with a squareend portion 15 to receive a wrench or other device for rotating the screwshaft.

An axle 16, the middle portion of which is composed of a pair of parallel channel bars having their webs vertically disposed and having the edges of their respective flanges opposed but spaced apart, is equipped at its ends with the stud-shafts 1'? upon which the transport wheels 18 are rotatably mounted. The said stud-shafts 17 are in-. tegral with the square end portions 19 disposed between the channel bars of the axle 16 and are rigidly secured thereto.

Eachof the said-square end portions 19 is equipped with a threaded bushing 20 in which a screw-shaft 12 engages. M M

The frame members 4 and 6 are provided at substantially the balance point between the sides of the machine, with a pair of parallel angle irons or other equivalent stop elements '21 between which the axle 16 is received and held 'against' lateral movement.

The diameter of the wheels 18 is somewhat tops of the frame members 4 and 6 above the grade or earth surface over which the machine is disposed in use and travel." Asthe side-forms of diiferent pavement strips differ in height from a minimum of six inches to a maximum of ten" inches, the frames of fine-grading machines and 7 possibly other machines, are equipped with means for raising and lowering the said frames relatively to the axes of their wheels in order to dispose the operating mechanisms of the said machine in the desired plane determined by the-crowns and bases of the side-forms. In the instance of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1,'the elevation of the tops of the frame members 4 and -6 above the plane of operation of the grade cutting devices 22 willapproximate twenty-one inches. Hence, in this instance, the diameter of the wheels 18 will be no less than fifty inches in order to provide several inches of clearance between-the lowest portions of the operatingmechanism and the ground during transport or the machine:

In use, the axle 16'may beinitially disengaged disposed in vertical alignment and appreciably higher than'the stop elements 21.

The wheels 18- are then mounted on the said stud-shafts of the axle 16 and the screw-shafts 12 are then rotated in a direction to raise the bridge:

members which are attached to members 4 and 6, thus also' raising'the machine until "the axle" is in closecontzictwith themem-bers 4 and 6 and is disposed between the 'stopvfcrmations 21. .This

be pulled in any desired direction; I

It will be noted that the frame members land 6 are now suspended from the bridge-members 8 at points so near tothe sides of the machine as practically willprevent flexing of the said;

frame members andeliinitsuchufiexing, if. any, to such a small degree as will-prevent permanent distortion of'the same. ltiisxalso obvious that the middle portions of said frame members lying between their points of suspension or support are prevented from flexing by the counter pressure of the axle l6 and that this rigidity of the middle portions of said frame members renders the outer end portions thereof far more rigid.

My said transport equipment is also advantageous in that it is applied without requiring the punching or drilling of holes in the frame members 41and 6 or securing devices thereto other than the stop members 10 and 21, by means of which attachment to the transport equipment is effected.

When said transport equipment is applied to the machine for the purpose of disposing the same at one side of the pavement strip in order that material trucks may pass, enroute to the paving material mixer, a few men can easily and quicklywith straps 23 provided in their'projecting end portions with openings in which'is received the shaft 24 which also passes through openings in three draft elements 25 and 26 at the rear end of the tongue structure 27 of V-shape which is equipped at its apex with the coupling loop 28.

The draft elements 26 are bolted to vertically disposed angle iron frame members 29 of the machine in the instance illustrated which happen to be convenientlylocated for this purpose. The.

frame nembers 29 cooperate withthe shaft 24 to prevent" pivotal movement of the tongue structure 27 on a horizontal axis and thus prevents the machine from swinging on the axis of the axle 16 during travel, the loop 28 being so coupled with the tractor or truck as to hold it against vertical movement relative to such vehicle.

Cotter pins 30 hold the shaft 24 against longitudinal movement.

My said transport equipment is very efficient and possesses the several. advantages above pointed out with respect to preventing distortion of the machine frame and with respect to the short time required to attach the same to and detach it from the machine. It is also very simpleand cheap, and possesses the further advantage of constituting an entirely separate and distinct unit which is absolutely independent of the machine except when mounted thereon, ex

cept as to the very light stop elements 21. It

5 is also; advantageous in that it includes the lift- :supports for said members-to renderatheqsame rigidq double purpose, one, being to lift; .the machine, i and the other being to'clamp the axle. down upon: the frame members 4 and 6 for coaction'with the I I-claim as my invention: 1 1. A transport equipment for the purpose specj ified' including an axle adapted to be disposed transversely of and-over. frame membersaof I a rnachine, aqpair of wheels ofa radius greater than the height of the said frame members dis: posed upon and supporting said axle initially. at an .ielevation'above :the frame, acpair of sup-- porting means at the ends of said supporting members for detachably securing the same to the said frame members at points spaced from the said axle, and vertically disposed jackscrews engaged with said axle and said supporting members and adapted to'be rotated to raise and lower said supporting members relatively to the said axle for causing said frame 'to be raised and lowered relatively to the said axle and to cause the latter to,

bear upon the frame when the latter has been raised to prevent flexing of the frame members.

2. A transport equipment for the purpose specified comprising a pair a of parallel supporting members each adapted. to be secured at its ends to a frame member of a machine and disposed in overhanging relation between its ends to said frame member, a member extending transversely of said supporting and frame members and overlying said frame members and underlying the middle portions of said supporting members,

means for attaching wheels to said transversely extending member, and means on saidsupporting members for raising and lowering said transversely extending member and clamping the a same down upon the said frame members to prevent flexing of the latter.

3. A lifting and transport equipment for Ina-'- chines of the type specified comprising a truss element, means for engaging the ends of the truss element underneath the machine frame, a wheeled member disposed over said frame between the ends of the truss element, and mechai nism engaged with said wheeled member and said; truss element for raising the latter and said 1 frame relatively to the wheeled member, said mechanism adapted to cause the wheeled member to bear upon the top of the'frame for coaction with the truss element to prevent flexing of saidframe. V r

V 4. A lifting and transport equipment for ma- 13o chines of the. type specified comprising a truss element, means for engaging the ends of the truss element underneath the machine frame, a member rotatable relatively to said truss element and engaged with the same and with the top of the machine frame between the ends of said truss element, and a wheeled member engaged with said rotatable member for raising and lowering said truss element and machine frame by rotation of said rotatable member, the latter 149 coacting with said first-named means to prevent flexing of the machine frame.

5. A transport equipment of the typeset forth comprising a wheeled truck, a plurality of substantially inflexible tensionmembers overhanging said truck between the wheels thereof, means for detachably securing said tension members to the frame of a machine to be transported for initial support by the latter, and manually operable mechanism engaging said truck and said 0 members hoverhanging; said axle at 7. I points. sub stantiallyi midway betweentheir. ends, 90

tension members between the ends of the latter for raising and lowering said tension members relatively to said truck while said tension members are secured to said machine frame, said mechanism adapted to cause the machine frame to be clamped to the underside of "said truck as said frame attains the upper limit of its movement relatively to the said truck.

6. A transport equipment of the type specified, comprising a pair of parallel truss members, means at the ends of said truss members for securing the same to frame members'of a machine to be transported, a bearing for the smooth end of a screw-shaft mounted upon the middle portion of each truss member, a screw-shaitjournalled in each of the bearings, collars on said screw-shafts for preventing their longitudinal movement relatively to the said bearings, an axle having spaced apartthreaded openings engaged with the said screw-shafts, means for engaging the said axle against lateral movement relatively to the frame of the machine to be transported as said axle is engaged with the said frame by rotation of the screw-shafts in one direction to cause said axle to bear upon the said frame, and wheels on said axle for supportingthe latter at an elevation higher than the points in the'machine frame engaged thereby.

' ROBERT D. BAKER; 

